Some Rays of Hope Break Through in Islamic World

My latest Capital Journal column looks at glimmers of hope suddenly emerging in the Islamic world–specifically in Lebanon and Pakistan:

The struggle against Islamic extremism will be long and difficult, so it’s a mistake to attach too much significance to one or two positive turns. Still, this is worth noting: Suddenly there is surprisingly good news for the U.S. on two different fronts in that struggle.

First, and most obviously, weekend elections in Lebanon delivered a blow to the Hezbollah Islamic movement. Hezbollah forces stood at the very doorway to political control of Lebanon until the country’s voters Sunday turned them back and instead gave continued control of Parliament to a Western-leaning coalition.

That outcome does many good things all at once. It provides the perfect and immediate response to President Barack Obama’s speech to the Islamic world last week urging the Islamic street to reject extremism; it vindicates the American decision to try to tip the balance toward the Western-leaning parties; and it makes it easier for the U.S. to deal with Israel, which now will be slightly less nervous, and with Syria, which now is a chastened sponsor of Hezbollah.